"Quebec City coat of arms to stay at War Museum"

10 posts / 0 new

Wed, 2009-08-19 10:30

toddsschneider

"The mayor of Quebec City isn't interested in the French royal coat of arms that a French-language advocacy group in Gatineau wants the Canadian War Museum to return to the city.

"Jean-Paul Perreault, president of l'Impératif français, last week demanded that the carved pine coat of arms that sat atop a Quebec City gate until 1760 be returned because it had been "looted by violence" after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham.

"Paul Christian Nolin, a spokesman for Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume, said Tuesday the mayor wasn't interested in another coat of arms from the Bourbon monarchy because the city already had two. One has been at city hall for years and the other is displayed at Quebec's Musée de la Civilization ..."

Wed, 2009-08-19 10:51

Lard Tunderin Jeezus Lard Tunderin Jeezus's picture

I don't even want to imagine why you thought this was worth posting.

Thu, 2009-08-20 07:24

toddsschneider

Simply to point out that the simplistic narrative of the Conquest of Quebec is not universally accepted even among the conquered. It's an interesting debate in the wake of the Pains of Abraham revisionism.

If the national question is, as some francophones like to point out, really a family feud, let's hear all the voices.

Thu, 2009-08-20 07:35

Maysie

Wow, two museum stories in a week. Ancient history never had such media exposure.

And this is my my favourite typo ever:

toddsschneider wrote:
Pains of Abraham revisionism

Bravo!

Thu, 2009-08-20 08:22

Caissa

I looked at it and thought it was intentional. If it was it was a wonderful stroke of satire, if not it makes great irony.

The imperial battles between Britain and France "over a few acres of snow" were indeed far more complex than a "Conquest of Quebec" and referring to some peopl alive 250 years later as the "conquered."

Fri, 2009-08-21 07:06

toddsschneider

Pun intended. I think twice before shooting my fingers off in a forum.

To paraphrase William Faulkner, "The post isn't dead. It isn't even past."

No, history is alive and well in Quebec, and sometimes even viable. But I suppose if the francos are no longer the conquered, then as an anglo I can no longer be referred to as Westmount Rhodesian.

Fri, 2009-08-21 07:28

Lard Tunderin Jeezus Lard Tunderin Jeezus's picture

...but it so perfectly captures the attitude.

Sat, 2009-08-22 08:02

toddsschneider

Anyone who confuses my basement apartment in my humble, multicultural, beloved Ville Saint-Laurent with the Van Horne mansion, or even the Pauline Marois mansion, needs their attitude adjusted.

I'm anti-bigotry, not pro-ethnocentrism, and that goes for the most conscious anglos I know.

Sun, 2009-08-23 19:54

Ken Burch

Whether or not the mayor wants it, the War Museum SHOULD return the coat of arms. There's no reason that any Canadian institution should retain anything that is a symbol of the conquest of one part of Canada by another(this should include any symbols of the defeat of FN's as well, of course, and I also apply this to anything in war museums in the U.S.). And returning it wouldn't harm a single Quebec anglophone, so I'm not really sure why toddschneider is gloating about it not being returned.

There's simply no reason for the War Museum to have it, or for anyone at al to celebrate the subjugation of francophones that occurred on the Plains. Just like decent Canadians stopped singing the original, offensive lyrics to "The Maple Leaf Forever", the notion that the English conquest of Quebec was something to cheer for needs to be consigned to the past.

Sun, 2009-08-23 22:46

#10

Lard Tunderin Jeezus Lard Tunderin Jeezus's picture

Ken Burch wrote:

There's simply no reason for the War Museum to have it, or for anyone at al to celebrate the subjugation of francophones that occurred on the Plains. Just like decent Canadians stopped singing the original, offensive lyrics to "The Maple Leaf Forever", the notion that the English conquest of Quebec was something to cheer for needs to be consigned to the past.

Actually, not even Todd (who was stupid enough to drag this in here) was celebrating anything.